Top NBA Draft Prospects in the ACC, Part Seven (#15-19)September 12, 2013

US Presswire

Jonathan Givony

A largely unheralded high school recruit, Ryan Anderson, unexpectedly blossomed into an immediate contributor for Steve Donahue at Boston College, averaging 11 and then 15 points per game in his first two seasons respectively.

Now as the third leading returning scorer in the ACC per-minute, and fourth best returning rebounder, Anderson will be expected to take his game to an even higher level as a junior, attempting to help Boston College return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2009.

Anderson does not possess overwhelming physical attributes, which is likely one of the reasons he slipped between the cracks as a high school recruit. He has decent size at 6-9 in shoes, but has an average wingspan and a frame that could still stand to add more weight. He's not particularly athletic either, lacking great quickness or explosiveness, which hampers him somewhat in the college game, and will likely become more of an issue at the pro level.

With that said, Anderson is a versatile offensive player, possessing a fairly high skill-level that allowed him to emerge as one of the best scorers in the ACC last season, and should give him at least a fighting chance to make a NBA roster by the time he's finished at BC.

Anderson sees his touches in a multitude of ways, be it on post-ups, as a pick and roll finisher, off cuts, via the offensive glass, running the floor in transition, or spotting up in the mid-range area. He's a smart and fundamentally sound big man, showing nice passing ability, good footwork, soft touch around the basket, and the ability to move off the ball intelligently and contribute to his team's ball-movement.

His back to the basket arsenal is rudimentary, consisting mostly of short jump-hooks over his left shoulder taking advantage of his solid touch and the strength advantage he'll occasionally find against smaller matchups at the power forward position in the ACC. It's not something that's likely to translate to the highest levels considering his average size and athleticismóhe gets his shot blocked a decent amount, and misses some make-able looks due to his below the rim style of play--but he can score effectively at times on the low block, and he gets to the free throw line at a great rate (7.2 times per-40).

29% of Anderson's field goal attempts came from beyond the 3-point line as a freshman, but as a sophomore he only took just 13 total attempts from that range. He instead shot a decent amount of mid-range jumpers, but wasn't terribly effective, making just 33% of his jump-shots on the season. Anderson doesn't have the prettiest shooting mechanics, as he takes a mostly one-handed jumper with his elbow flailing out to the side and a somewhat rigid release.

With that said, he shows decent touch on his jumper, so it's not out of the question that he develops this part of his game as his career progresses. It's something he'll likely need to in order to reach his max earning potential at the professional level (be it in the NBA or not), especially considering his athletic limitations.

The same can be said for his ball-handling skills, which are pretty solid for a college big man and help him draw a good amount of fouls attacking opposing big men off the dribble.

Defensively is where NBA scouts might struggle the most to project Anderson at the pro level. While he's a very intelligent player who uses his body and length as effectively as he can to take charges and play solid positional defense, he's limited somewhat by his lack of quickness and explosiveness. He has a difficult time staying in front of quicker big men off the dribble, will get backed down by stronger opponents, and isn't much of a presence inside the paint, blocking just 16 shots in 32 games last season.

Scouts will like how crafty he is sticking his elbow in his opponent's back at just the right time to get him off balance and help him come up with offensive rebounds, but his average length and vertical leap won't do him as many favors on the glass at the pro level.

All in all, Anderson is likely to be deemed a fringe NBA prospect upon finishing his time in college, but his skill-level and feel for the game will certainly help him get looks in the form of workouts, summer league invites and possibly a shot at making a team's roster. Continuing to improve his skill-level as much as he can between now and then and maximizing his physical potential will help his cause considerably, as will polishing up his defense. [Read Full Article]NCAA Weekly Performers, 1/10/08-- Part TwoJanuary 10, 2008Ryan Anderson is a prospect weíve scouted at length throughout his freshman campaign, so his progress this year definitely warrants another look. Statistically, there are few players in the NCAA who are in the same league as Anderson -- shooting over 50% from the field, over 40% from the perimeter, and 80% from the foul line. The fact that the California Golden Bears are 10-3 even after embarking on their PAC-10 conference schedule, only has increased their and Andersonís visibility.

On the offensive end, Anderson looks to be a more versatile player this year. For one, he is aggressively attacking the basket and using his ball-handling ability better to penetrate from the perimeter against opposing big men. He utilizes a combination of finesse and good footwork to get around defenders and get the ball into the basket. Heís just as good in the open court, doing a good job of putting the ball in the basket in transition.

His perimeter game is a very important part of his game, as he has become an even more prolific three-point shooter, at an even better percentage, this season. His release looks excellent, with a high release point and quick release, and his range extends all the way to the NBA three-point line. However, he seems to have fallen in love with his perimeter shot to a certain extent, at nearly 4.8 attempts per game.

When Anderson catches the ball in post, he is a little less reliable. He has good footwork, a soft touch, and good intelligence on the offensive end, but he too often finds himself trapped under the basket or turns into a double or triple team. While he is a very good passer out of the paint and has shown very nice awareness in the high post and on the perimeter, he frequently finds himself out of position on the low blocks and then is pressured into a bad shot or decision. This is a trend against big defenders such as Luke Nevill of Utah and Kevin Love of UCLA. While he does a very nice job of establishing position and posting up, once the ball gets into his hands, the results are not always as good.

On the defensive end, there are still some concerns about his potential at the next level. He has adequate feet in the post, and uses his length fairly well to guard opposing big men. Against quicker big men, he sometimes gets caught flat-footed trying to stay in front of his man, but for the most part he competes trying to defend the paint. With more upper body strength, though, he could be an even more effective defender in the post, because at this stage, he looks a little weak against bigger opponents. However, where he has trouble is when he has to cover opposing perimeter players. He is not the most athletic player and does not always close out fast enough on smaller players, lacking some lateral quickness here and not doing a great job defending pick and rolls. Some added awareness and intensity on this end of the floor would go a long ways in easing some of the concerns scouts have about his average athletic ability.

As proven by his 9.2 rebounds per game and his six double doubles in the past 13 games, Anderson is a solid rebounder, especially when you consider the monster he plays next to and has to share rebounds with. On the defensive end, he uses his size, terrific hands, and aggressiveness to grab rebounds. His ability to gain position on the offensive end translates into solid positioning for rebounds on the defensive end. Even though he is a very competent offensive rebounder, he still is too far away from the basket at times to make more of a difference on the offensive boards.

Anderson has made a lot of strides in his game since we last analyzed him. He has become an absolutely lights out shooter and a more aggressive player. He has also increased his effectiveness as a rebounder, despite the fact that he is playing with fellow rebounding machine Devon Hardin. Anderson has a skill set that is coveted in the NBA and with more improvements, combined with continued intensity, he will find himself playing at the next level sooner or later. [Read Full Article]Top NBA Draft Prospects in the Pac-10 (Part Two: #6-#10)September 20, 2007Ryan Anderson was easily one of the most impressive freshmen in the entire country season. Overlooked early on by his more highly touted low-post teammate DeVon Hardin, Anderson picked up the slack before and after Hardinís injury to lead the Golden Bears in scoring at 16.4 points, while pulling down 8.1 rebounds per contest. Given the consistent play that we saw from Anderson last season, this year should prove to be one in which the sophomore garners a little more attention on the national scene.

Anderson already possesses good size for the power forward position, but in order to become more of a force on the block he is going to have to get stronger and add some bulk. He doesnít have tremendous athleticism, granted he does run the floor pretty well for a big man, but his lateral quickness is sub-par, especially for a guy who spends so much of his time on the perimeter. He doesnít have a great vertical, but still does a good job rebounding the basketball thanks to his knack for positioning and his hustle under the basket.

Offensively, Anderson brings plenty of versatility to the table. Despite standing 6-10, he definitely prefers to play facing the basket. This is where he separates himself from most other college big men, shooting 38% from beyond the arc. Anderson hasnít shown the ability to create shots for himself though, instead he likes to rotate behind the ball and spot up. He has shown the ability to put the ball on the floor a little and drive to the basket, but often his shots are wild and off balance. His post game needs work as well. He doesnít go to the basket very strong and often fades away when his shots are contested. Anderson does show some nice touch on his shot down low, but struggles at times when he is forced to the baseline.

Despite not being the strongest of players, Anderson had a great season on the boards, averaging over 8 per contest. He shows great hustle, especially on the offensive glass where he picks up a lot of tip-ins thanks to his size and aggressiveness.

Defensively, Anderson does a better job in the post than he does on offense. He holds his ground fairly well, and doesnít leave his feet often. This usually forces opponents into taking awkward shots against him. Where he gets into trouble though is when he is forced to guard other versatile big men on the perimeter. Anderson isnít quick to close out on perimeter shots, and often he isnít under control when he does, so a strong head fake is enough to take him out of position and beat him off the dribble.

Though there is plenty of room for improvement, Anderson shows great potential as a face the basket, floor spacing power forward. There is always room in the NBA for players like that, especially guys who are tough, smart and play for the team the way Anderson does. [Read Full Article]Stock Watch-- Tournament Week (Part One, Stock Up)November 27, 2006Only ranked as the 34th best power forward in his high school class according to Scout.com, no one could have projected Ryan Anderson to be a 20 point per game scorer this quickly in his college career. Thatís exactly what heís doing, though, and it doesnít look like heíll be slowing down anytime soon.

Equally as effective with his back to the basket as he is facing the hoop, Anderson scored at will from all over the court in the Alaska Shootout. Heís incredibly precocious for a player his age, showing an incredible knack for finding the hoop and fitting into an offense that just cannot be taught. Based off what we saw here, heís certainly of the best freshman big men in the country early on at least and will probably go head to head with Chase Budinger at Arizona for Freshman of the year honors in the Pac-10.

What makes Anderson so deadly is really his perimeter shot. He has a super quick release and picture perfect mechanics, only needing a second of daylight to get his shot off. Heís hitting over 45% of his 3-pointers on a high number of attempts six games into the season, but unlike most big-men shooters, heís also not afraid to mix it up inside. Anderson has nice footwork and even better touch inside the post, being super opportunistic and possessing a great nose for finding the hoop. An extremely smart and patient player well beyond his years, heís also a great passer who picks and chooses his spots well in Calís offense. He did a very nice job on the glass in Alaska, fighting for position and showing good instincts against the admittedly weak crop of big men he went up against.

In terms of his pro prospects, itís probably a bit too early to jump to any kind of conclusions. Heís not the type of freakish athlete who usually projects as a one or two-and-done early entrant, but you just canít ignore the production heís brought from day one. Getting stronger, becoming a better defender and rebounder and diversifying his array of moves inside the post will all be priorities for him in the long term, but its really hard not to love what heís showing so far. In terms of actual basketball skills, heís already a much better player than his more highly regarded counterpart in the post Devon Hardin. [Read Full Article]